Tribute To Him
by NintendoGal55
Summary: Through Helga Pataki's wonderful sacrifice, and the life of baby Matthew, Kevin relishes upon the chance to keep his promise to his fallen cousin. Companion fic to "Can Anybody Find Me?".


**Hey guys. :D This is a birthday gift as per requested by my buddy One Fine Wire. It's yet another little spin-off companion fic to her awesome piece "Can Anybody Find Me?"**

**This takes place after chapter fifteen when Kevin and Christine finally come home with Matthew! :D Yay! Now, go read the story AND chapter fifteen before you read this. THAT IS AN ORDER!**

**Kevin, Christine, and Matthew belong to One Fine Wire**

**Hey Arnold belongs to Craig Bartlett**

**The little lullaby poem is inspired by "Room of Angel" from Silent Hill 4 and "You're Not Here" from Silent Hill 3. **

**Also included today is **_**Two Worlds**_** by Phil Collins, featured in Disney's **_**Tarzan **_** and it is my absolute FAVOURITE song in the movie. This is for Matthew. :)**

_Put your faith in what you most believe in  
Two worlds, one family  
Trust your heart  
Let fate decide  
To guide these lives we see_

A paradise untouched by man  
Within this world blessed with love  
A simple life, they live in peace

Softly tread the sand below your feet now  
Two worlds, one family  
Trust your heart  
Let fate decide  
To guide these lives we see

Beneath the shelter of the trees  
Only love can enter here  
A simple life, they live in peace

Raise your head up  
Lift high the load  
Take strength from those that need you  
Build high the walls  
Build strong the beams  
A new life is waiting  
But danger's no stranger here

No words describe a mother's tears  
No words can heal a broken heart  
A dream is gone, but where there's hope

Somewhere something is calling for you  
Two worlds, one family  
Trust your heart  
Let fate decide  
To guide these lives we see 

XXX

_**Here's a lullaby to close your eyes**_

_**For you the sun shines in the skies**_

_**Sweet little baby don't you cry**_

_**Love is always here for you**_

_**Blue skies to forever**_

_**The green grass blows in the wind dancing**_

_**It would be a much better sight**_

_**With you, little baby, forever and ever**_

_**Sweet little baby, don't you cry**_

_**You're never alone**_

_**Love is always here for you**_

_**Hear the birds sing as they fly**_

_**Here's a lullaby to close your eyes**_

_**For you the sun shines in the skies**_

_**I love you**_

_**Sweet little baby, don't you cry**_

_**Don't you cry**_

Kevin smiled to himself as he was reading over the sweet little lullaby poem that Helga had written for her son, and gave it to them to sing if they chose to. She had included a few poems that she had written about Matthew when he had been in her womb, and also after she had given birth. They were beautiful, inspirational, and Christine had been drawn to tears reading some of them. Kevin nearly was too, they were just that touching. They showed just how much the young mother really did love and care about her son, so much so that she was willing to give him up in order to make two other people happy.

She even threw in an old poem from childhood, which Christine thought was just so adorable, and Kevin couldn't help but laugh at, but he too found it cute. She was trying to break the ice with them and make them laugh, which they thought was sweet.

_All the days of my week_

Also included, were two letters. One she had written some time a couple months ago, and another she had written while still in the hospital.

_**Dear Kevin and Christine,**_

_**As I sit here now, in the hospital, I have given birth to our son. August 30**__**th**__**, at 6:48 PM, was when he was born. A beautiful baby boy. Just one day short of what was supposed to be my induction date. What a clown! He sure didn't want people telling him when his birthday was, no sir!**_

_**He does look like his father, but overall he's just beautiful and absolutely perfect. I never thought I could love him more than I already did, but when I saw him, it was as if my love were amplified by several octaves. It really goes to show that love works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?**_

_**Someone who truly means the world to me, the one I love, was right there with me when I delivered. It truly was a part of what made the pain worth it. The two boys who I love more than anything in the world were there with me, and it was better than I could have ever asked for. I will never forget the moment I opened my eyes soon after I delivered, and saw him there, holding my son. It was beautiful. And my love for them both just grew all the more. If that was even possible. It wasn't just the beautiful image. It was the fact he was there for me, even when the baby isn't his own, nor his responsibility. I could tell he loved my son, too. Seeing my love with him like that, just touched me so much. I'll never forget it. **_

_**Seeing your smiling faces when you meet this little treasure will be all the more worth it as well. You're going to be blown away by his absolute perfection, I can guarantee it. Even a blind person could tell! He has been one of the grand pillars of strength throughout this whole ordeal, and he makes it worth it. They say there's something magical about having a baby, and holding your newborn for the first time. It was something I never thought I would experience the way I did. And I know you will feel the same way too. I knew from the moment you touched my stomach, to feel him kicking in there, that you definitely would. You will fall so much in love with him even more when he holds onto your finger with his tiny hand!**_

_**Included with all the memorabilia will be tons of photos I hope you'll like, and that he comes to see one day. Including photos of his father, and his family as well. I refuse to leave anything out, despite my own opinion toward his father. He deserves to know everything.**_

_**I know you two will make wonderful parents to him. Better than what I or Sid can provide. Knowing he'll be in good hands is the greatest feeling I've felt in a long time. It hurts to give him up, but I can't think of anyone I would rather hand him off to than the two of you. I cannot thank you enough for this. If not for you, he wouldn't be living the life he should be living. Because he deserves better. I realize that now, so much more than before. It took a lot, but no way am I turning back. Just like I said in my other letter.**_

_**Please take good care of him, and let him know that his birth mother loves him very much, and always will. Maybe one day in the distant future, I'll have more children of my own again. But he will **_**always **_**be my son, and my first son. I will never forget him, nor will he cease to be part of my life.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Helga G. Pataki**_

Kevin read this letter several times, and could never fail to smile every time he did. His and Christine's admiration and appreciation toward the young woman only ever increased over time, and more so when they met her again in the hospital, with the precious baby in her arms. They would never forget the moment they saw her, in her lovely attire, how pretty she looked, despite the aftermath of giving birth just days ago at the time. Even though she was in a wheelchair, it didn't deter them from the image of the strong, passionate, beautiful woman who had done the most beautiful thing they could imagine.

Bringing baby Matthew home was a joy that they never knew they would get to experience. The news of their infertility back then, was as heartbreaking as it could have ever been. The misfortune of never being able to conceive weighed down on their hearts for a long time. But now, they no longer worried about that. Because they were brand-new parents to a wonderful, perfect, beautiful baby boy that they had named Matthew. Matthew Caleb. There was more to his name, other than just the fact it was a great name for a boy.

Of course, not once had they expected to be able to adopted a child, let alone a newborn. A child would mean already given a name, female or male. And of course, despite their own intentions, Kevin and Christine were more than willing to take what they could get upon sending out their adoption portfolio. A boy, a girl, a baby, a toddler, a child, or even a teenager. Either one was fine with them. Nothing would stop them from loving and raising their adoptive child, no matter the age, name, or sex. They were more than eager to garner a good result.

But when along came the wonderful news that someone had not only chosen them to adopt their child, but also that they were _pregnant_. Meaning that they would be able to start from scratch. Especially when it was revealed that they would get to name the baby themselves. "The baby isn't mine to name" was the simple statement given. It overjoyed them all the more, especially Kevin, that they could name the baby. While they would have been more than happy to allow her to name him, it was wonderful she relinquished that aspect to them, and they were happy she and the baby's father agreed to it.

Which brings us to tonight.

It was fairly late at night, and just a couple of days after they had returned from clear across the country with their adopted son. They had gone to New York, ready and eager to meet him, and to see Helga again as well. Meeting Sid, the father of Matthew, was also something they never expected to see happen. But they were glad to, glad to meet the other half of Matthew's genetic makeup. Kevin even made some small talk with him, and Christine did too.

Admittedly, Kevin (and he knew Christine was too) was very unimpressed by Sid's actions, and found it to be a little ironic that he actually showed up for the official hand-off, something he wasn't sure to have expected. He was certainly glad that Sid had showed up, actually took an interest in his son and was willing to let him be adopted. In fact, to a degree he was proud. Proud that he had manned up.

But of course, that didn't overshadow the fact that he was far too late. Not to mention that it hurt Helga immensely throughout the whole process. Kevin and Christine saw it during the first meeting they had with Helga, that Sid's lack of involvement took its toll on her. She was strong, and very much a fighter, not going down without one last battle. But, she was still human who needed help and support, specifically by the baby's father. It was obvious there was friction between them, even when at the hospital. Kevin did feel bad for him, speaking from a male perspective. If he had gotten a girl pregnant at _that_ age, of course he would be freaked out and not sure what to do for the most part. It was perfectly understandable to feel that you wouldn't be a good father, that you're too young to have a baby and can't provide for it. But the difference in that, Kevin knew he would have manned up and did what he could to help and support the mother if that had happened. It wouldn't be easy, especially considering whatever decision she would make, but not once would he turn his back on her.

Of course, Kevin wasn't about to judge Sid, or his family. Again, he and Christine were very unimpressed by his actions and held him in a not-so high regard, but that didn't mean they weren't going to be the kind, gracious, and polite people they were. They may have had the right to make Sid feel like garbage for what he had done to Helga and her son, they may have had the right to give him the cold shoulder and refuse to converse with him, they may have had the right not to acknowledge him, or the fact he'd actually shown up.

But that wasn't who he was. And he knew that wasn't who Christine was either. They were both raised to know that there was power in forgiveness. Kevin wanted Sid, and his family too, to know that they were not going to judge him or make him feel like garbage. Yes, they made it clear they did have "reservations" (as Kevin put it), to get their message across that they were very much unimpressed with Sid's actions, but were not going to hold it against him and not judge him. That was _not_ what that day was about. And neither of them wanted the memory of meeting their adopted son for the first time and taking him home to be tainted with that kind of a callous memory.

After all, the didn't think he was a bad person at all. Christine said to Sid herself that they didn't believe him to be a bad person. Just that he behaved _very_ poorly throughout most of the ordeal. He was trying to redeem himself, and to make up for his poor behaviour during Helga's pregnancy. Both he and Christine knew that, and were commending him for it all the more.

He also hadn't been trying to fight against them not to adopt his son. As much as they could see he wanted to redeem himself and be a father to his son, that just wasn't going to happen, and he knew it, but he didn't fight it. Sid had done the right thing by not only showing up, but also for relinquishing parenthood to them. That was also to be commended.

Once again, that day was about finally seeing Helga once more, and to finally see their adopted son. And he was just beautiful. As Helga said in her recent letter, he was perfection.

Black hair, inherited from his father, and his mother's stunning azure eyes. It was quite a combination to have, the dark hair and blue eyes. Christine joked about how he was going to grow up to be quite a heartbreaker, which made Kevin laugh. Matthew was like any newborn baby, of course he would cry at night and need to be fed, changed, calmed down, warmed up or cooled down. But for the most part, he would sleep just fine without a problem.

But Kevin and Christine knew that they would have to face a lot of nights without much sleep. Then again, they were preparing for that for quite a long time now, so it was to be expected.

At this moment, it was 9:43 PM, and Matthew was already long asleep. Kevin was hanging around in the nursery, just watching him, as he had been for the past couple of hours since he and Christine had put him to bed. The nursery was full of the memorabilia: clothes, toys, books, photos, and other things, as well as the crib. The crib and a couple of other baby clothes were donated by Helga, and her older sister Olga. Everything else had been donated by Helga's friends, and some of her friend's families as well, and had all been shipped to their home here, arriving safely. While Kevin and Christine bought a few things to start, it was surprising and very heartwarming to receive all this wonderful stuff to help them out. Included was the Victorian novel _The Way We Live Now_, donated by Helga herself, along with a sweet letter to her son inside. Kevin and Christine vowed to make sure Matthew would know about his wonderful mother, and his father too, that they would always love him. They would be a silent, spiritual presence in his life, even though at a cross-country distance.

While watching him, Kevin flipped through the photo album, with a little light on so he could see, while his son slept on. Occasionally he twitched in his movements ever so slightly as he lay there on his back in his crib, but for the most part was quite still and quiet, sleeping quietly.

But when Kevin looked at him again, he could see that he was awake. Not fussing or about to cry, but the little baby had opened his eyes, and was staring blankly up at the mobile above his crib.

"Hey, buddy." Kevin said to him softly with a smile. "Still getting used to being in your new home, huh? Can't beat sleeping in your mommy's arms, huh? Well, speaking of your mom, that's her right there." He held up the photo album a bit near the bars of Matthew's crib. As if he would see them and respond to them. He showed him one of the photos of Helga in her hospital bed, holding baby Matthew and smiling down at him with a loving grin. "She really looks happy with you there, you know. She really loves you very much. Christine and I will make sure you know that."

Matthew gave a small sneeze and turned his head a little bit toward him. Kevin chuckled and gently inserted his finger toward him through the bars, gently caressing his face. Matthew gurgled and then grabbed onto his finger with his tiny hand, and refused to let go. Chuckling softly, the new father continued to look through the album a bit.

"There's your dad." He indicated to a photo that was taken of Sid, Helga and Matthew on the day of the official hand-off. "His name is Sid. And he loves you very much too, and he did the right thing showing up at the hand-off and finally being there for you. Unfortunately, he was a little too late, and it's kind of hard to forget that, all things considered." Kevin sighed and shook his head. "But, none the less, he did a good thing showing up and not fighting back on Helga's wonderful decision. If not for them, we wouldn't be here now."

Kevin drifted for a moment, as he thought about the harsh reality that had descended on Helga and Sid, which from Helga's story she had told openly and without skimping on the proper details. He and Christine would have never wished this kind of thing on anyone, ever. Even if it would mean they could adopt a child. They would never enforce impulsive, unprotected sex. Even to this day they felt sorry for her, and even Sid as well, to have to go through that. Helga more so, having to give herself to someone she didn't love.

But with that in mind, he and Christine were going to do all in their power to make sure none of Helga's sacrifices would be in vain. Ever. She had given them the most wonderful gift they could ask for, and they were thankful to her, and would be to the end of their days. Nothing was going to stop them from living up to their promises to her, Sid, and Matthew too. They would love him and raise him just as any loving parents would, and make sure he had a good life. That was what mattered, and knew it would assure Helga immensely.

On top of that, Matthew was going to know of his birth parents, and know that they loved him very much, and had to give him up because of that. That was another factor that Kevin and Christine just couldn't help but admire. Here was a teenage girl, having gotten pregnant due to impulsive, unprotected sex with someone she didn't love, and done for all the wrong reasons, on both ends of the spectrum. And yet, despite all of that, it didn't stop her from loving her son. It didn't stop her from loving her son just as any mother would. Despite even her most selfish desires she had faced in the earlier stages of her pregnancy, she did still love her son very much. Not even her earlier selfishness deterred that. And the love she had only grew stronger when she decided to give Kevin and Christine a chance. They knew from the beginning when they met her that she loved her son and wanted what was best for him. And that was a huge part in why they adored her and admired her so much. Because she loved her baby, no matter what.

Most teenage girls, or even some adults, would find their unwanted pregnancy to be a burden, and nothing more than just a baby. It was sad, and even though Kevin and Christine would have still gone through that adoption if it were the case, it would sadden them to see that. But no, Helga wasn't afraid to love her baby and was not afraid to show it. She was a very loving person with a huge heart, despite she didn't let a lot of people know it. Matthew was incredibly fortunate to be born to a mother who loved him so much, and Kevin and Christine were happy to know that, and knew Matthew one day would, too.

"You're one lucky baby." Kevin remarked, chuckling as he finally freed his finger from his son's tiny but strong grasp, and turned the page of the photo album. "You were really fortunate to have your birth mother love you so much, buddy. Christine and I just couldn't believe it, but...it was true, and we saw it for ourselves. She's an amazing young woman, with a lot of love to give." He turned the page again, and smiled softly at one of the photos. "Her boyfriend is one lucky guy. You see him there? His name's Arnold. He was there helping you and your Mom out a lot before and after you were born. And he loves you too, you know. I can tell. Not a lot of guys would do that, but he sure did. He loves your Mom, too. You can see it in his eyes whenever he's with her in a photo. Especially this one, the way they're looking at each other. Cute, huh? Your Mom's in love, buddy. It's a great feeling. And you're going to find yourself a great gal you'll be in love with one day. I can guarantee that."

Turning the page again, he this time was presented with a photo of Helga in her hospital bed holding Matthew in her arms, and with Sid sitting next to her, gazing down at their son. The photo conveyed the touching family moment, to show the eternal connection Sid and Helga would have because of their son. He had a feeling it would be a long time before they would be able to interact in the same room together on a civil matter, but for the most part, it was a moment like that where they put it aside in order to show their love for their son. That was definitely a defining moment, it showed in the photo.

Maybe Matthew would have different ideas about it, but at least he would know that his birth father did truly love him. Even if it happened a little too late.

"There's your Dad and Mom again." Kevin murmured, looking toward his son. He chuckled as Matthew opened his mouth to yawn, and looked at him again as if he didn't know what was going on, but didn't care. "Really showing how much he loves you, too. He and your Mom aren't getting along right now, but they know when to put it on the back burner and be there for you. This proved it for sure."

Looking at a few more photos, Kevin then closed the book and gently placed it aside on the small table not far from the crib. He stood up, and gently reached into the crib to touch his son's face. The new father then took his son out of the crib, and sat back in the rocking chair next to his crib, holding Matthew close to him as the little baby sneezed and then snuggled into him. It felt so amazing, to know once again, that he was a father. Maybe not by biological means, but still a father. It was a beautiful feeling, something he never thought he would experience. But it happened, in the form of this wonderful little boy. He had the chance to be a father while Christine had the chance to be a mother.

Adjusting his glasses, Kevin looked down at Matthew and kissed his head, gently caressing the patch of black hair that he had. It was still so surreal to look down at him, hold him, and feel him. Something in this world had indeed gifted them with a beautiful son. A chance, a gift, a wonderful miracle they would have never thought possible.

And yet here they were. Back home in California, with their newly adopted son, barely a week old, happier than they could have ever imagined. All because of that wonderful, selfless young woman who had given them a chance. All because of this wonderful baby right there in his new father's arms.

Matthew...

Kevin sighed a bit, but smiled at his son as he traced his index finger along his face. "Hey, buddy. Do you know how you got your name?"

There was no answer from Matthew, which was almost silly to expect. The days-old baby just looked up at him with his soft azure gaze, clutching his finger with his tiny hand.

"Well...it's a real long story, I guess. One of my cousins, his name was Matthew, too. He was my best friend, kind of like a brother to me. Matthew and I did everything together. Hiking, walking, playing games, swimming, boating, fishing, and played some sports. All kinds of stuff. They were really fun times, buddy. Some of the best times of my life." Kevin recalled those memories with a sad, but warm smile on his face as he gently rocked back and forth in the rocking chair, holding Matthew to him. "He was a great kid, you know. We planned to be roommates when we would attend University in Seattle. Unfortunately, he died some years ago. I never saw it coming, either. I'll never forget it. I was the first person to find out he was dead. The last time we spent time together, before he died..."

The new father gave a sigh yet again, feeling a pang of sadness eat at his heart. While he was well over his cousin's death and had moved on, forever cherishing his memory, and having been able to keep the promise he made to himself, it did still bring on a sad feeling when he thought about him.

"Matthew and I hung out at the lake most of the day at the time. We were boating, did some swimming, we had a bit of a picnic lunch, too. We laughed and shared jokes and stories, talked about random things...we just enjoyed each other's company, just like we always did." Kevin recalled, and chuckled a bit. "It was a great day, it really was." Looking down at his son again, admiring his soft black hair and lovely blue eyes, he managed to continue, drawing strength from the sight of the wonderful baby in his arms. "When I...found him dead, it was...shocking to say the least. Like I said, never saw it coming. It happened the same day we had our boating excursion, you know. Our friend was throwing a party in the city, and we planned to go to it. After our boating excursion, I dropped him off at his house and was going to pick him up that evening."

He sighed yet again before continuing.

"I went to his house, and I kept knocking on the door and ringing the bell. Which was weird because it was as if no one was home. I figured he was taking a nap, since we did have a long day, after all. I'd taken a bit of a nap myself that day too! Anyway, so I went in, and went up to his room. He was lying on his bed, and I thought he was asleep. But when I got closer, I realized he wasn't breathing. After fruitless attempts at waking him up...I...found he was dead. Just...gone."

Kevin drifted for a moment as he recalled that tragic day. His cousin was laying on his bed, unmoving, and not breathing. He had shaken him, held him, yelling "Wake up Matthew! PLEASE wake up! WAKE UP!" over and over, but soon realizing he was dead. Just dead. He had searched all over his room, and even the bathroom too. There was no suicide note, no bottle of pills indicating he had taken, there were no cuts on his body from any sharp object, nothing was broken, he wasn't bleeding...nothing. Whatever had happened at the moment (even to this day he still didn't understand) had been sudden and quick. It was strange, since the doctors didn't know what happened exactly. The Toxicology reports came back negative, and Matthew had been healthy as a horse. So what was wrong with him? It was determined that he had died by natural causes, as it seemed.

"Whatever happened, he just died. It was determined by the doctors that he died of natural causes, so I knew it wasn't suicide. The autopsy report indicated that as well. I'll never forget...when I found him, he looked so peaceful. Tranquil. Like he was sleeping." He looked down at his son, and kissed his head, rubbing his nose against his. "At his funeral...I remember that I promised myself that if I ever had a son of my own, I would name him Matthew. As a tribute to his memory. My cousin meant a lot to me, buddy. And I knew...that my child would mean the world to me too, so...it seemed like a perfect tribute, you know? Just the way to show how much he meant to me, honouring and cherishing his memory, and yet still letting go at the same time. That's the way Christine put it, and I think she's right about that. You'll definitely be your own person, Matthew. I can see it in you already. You're going to be one heck of a guy."

Kevin smiled more, and kissed his son's cheek and cuddled him more against his chest, he couldn't help but think back to his cousin's funeral. He had made the promise to himself that day, to name his son after Matthew. It was the promise of a lifetime.

The funeral was sad, with all of Matthew's family on either side, friends, and even some townspeople who knew him or his parents, Kevin's family, were present that day. It was all so weird how Matthew just suddenly died, to everyone involved. He was healthy, never did drugs, took care of himself, and it was a mystery how he had died. No one understood it. His father got up, and gave a eulogy, while Kevin did as well. His cousin's passing was tragic, and it hurt him quite a lot. While he promised himself to _never_ let his death bring him down, and to live his life exactly as Matthew would have wanted for him, he did grieve his cousin and felt that life would not be the same without him. To this day he missed him very much. But again, he didn't dwell on it, and cherished his memory more than his death.

Baby Matthew was living proof of that.

Kevin considered himself very blessed. He was married to the woman of his dreams, who loved him back, he worked his dream job, lived in a great place here in sunny California with his wonderful wife. He had a great family, great friends, a good home, and now, blessed with having the chance to be a father, by means of adoption. Just as wonderful as having your own child. Blessed with the chance to live out the promise he made. Despite that he and Christine were declared unable to have children of their own, one of their deepest desires, it didn't stop them from living on, from still trying...from making each other happy, and everyone around them, as well. Finding happiness in other aspects of their lives were essential to them both, because that was what mattered. But even through it all, they wanted to be a family. They wanted children.

Having children these days often seemed so taboo, due to the media and cynical expression of other people. Even people they _knew_. Talks and talks again about how the world was in a population crisis, how people should've just died to make more room, and how having your own children was selfish.

Christine never stood for that. She was adamant that it was someone's own personal choice whether or not they would choose to have a child(or adopt for that matter). Kevin agreed to that, as well. Not once were they swayed by this. They wanted to be parents, and gosh darn it they would be!

Now here they were, gifted with a beautiful baby boy, all thanks to the wonderful miracle of adoption, and a strong woman willing to give them that chance.

"I love you, buddy. And mommy loves you too." Kevin whispered to his son, rocking him a bit more. "We're _so _happy, so lucky, to be your parents. And we are going to love every minute of it."

Matthew yawned and grasped Kevin's finger again, holding on tightly, making the man chuckle.

Footsteps were heard, and Kevin sensed a presence in the doorway, and turned to see his wife there, smiling at them in amusement.

"It looks like you set up camp in the nursery." Christine remarked with a giggle.

Kevin looked down to see his camping sleeping bag on the floor next to where Matthew's crib was. He chuckled and turned back to his wife.

"I just want to make sure he isn't dead." He said, smiling at her and then down at their son.

Smiling more, Christine shook her head. "Matthew's going to be fine, honey. You have _nothing_ to worry about."

"I know. But I do have to take advantage of this now, because when he's thirteen, or older for that matter, he won't let us near his room again, and definitely won't let us take the camera everywhere." Kevin admitted. He had taken several photos of Matthew, with and without Christine, ever since they had brought him home.

Coming into the room, Christine stood beside them on the rocking chair, kissing her husband sweetly before then reaching down to caress her son's hair. "As long as the two most important men in my life are here, that's what counts. We're all going to be fine."

"You always know the right things to say." Kevin said gratefully with a smile. "I never thought we'd be here like this, you know. Having a son to love and raise, let alone be able to name him Matthew."

"That's true." Christine agreed, kissing her his cheek, and tracing Matthew's face with her finger. "It's overwhelming to me, as well. We're going to make Helga proud. We're going to make sure, just as we said before, that her sacrifices and hardships will never be in vain."

"I attest to that fully." Kevin said, nodding firmly. "Both Helga and Sid gave us something beautiful, a gift, really, and we're not going to let it go to waste."

"...You know, I wouldn't be surprised if Matthew, wherever he is now...had helped us receive this wonderful baby. Somehow guided Helga during her pregnancy to find us."

Kevin chuckled, but couldn't help but agree. "That really doesn't seem far fetched at all, actually."

"That's what I always thought." She said. "I love you, Kevin...and I love you too, Matthew. You two are the epitomes of love in my life."

"And I love you, honey." Kevin kissed his wife's cheek, and then snuggled their son some more. "Love you too, buddy. Always."

A sweet moment of silenced passed between the small family, relishing in the wonderful feeling that had overcome them in moments like this since they brought Matthew home with them.

"Did you read him one of Helga's poems, and lullabies?" Christine queried.

"You bet. Including that one from her childhood, which is just hilarious and adorable." Kevin chuckled. "You know; _H is for the head I'd like to punt. E is for every time I see that little runt._...you get the picture."

Christine laughed. "I love that poem. It's so funny! Matthew is going to love it when he's older and can understand it more. I hope she makes more of those, Matthew would love them."

"Who knows, maybe she will. She's written so many nice poems for him, and lullabies too, so maybe she'll throw in a new one here and there." Kevin agreed.

"I hope so." Christine grinned, and then tapped his shoulder. "C'mon, you. It's time we headed off to bed. We have a big day tomorrow, meeting up with your parents to show them Matthew for the first time. Let's go. ...And bring Matthew in with us."

"All right." Kevin nodded, standing up with Matthew still in his arms. He brought one arm around Christine and kissed her lovingly, holding her close.

She felt her insides explode with joy, and she kissed back gently but with tender passion, holding herself close to him. But both were careful of their son, who was falling asleep by then. They parted and smiled at each other, rubbing their noses together.

"I love you so much, Kevin. I'm eternally grateful for all of this, and to share it with you."

"I love you too, Christine. I feel the exact same way. We really are blessed. Especially with our tribute to him."

They kissed once more, and then exited off to their bedroom, with their baby in tow.

Wherever cousin Matthew was today...they knew he would be smiling upon them, very much happy and proud of them.

**The End. **


End file.
